I was 25 when...

I couldn’t move my legs after laying down for a nap. I couldn’t understand why. Why someone my age, weighing 120lbs, with a fast metabolism and somewhat healthy eating habits, would have any kind of health issues.

Next thing I know, we were at the ER. I managed to move my right leg, but my left leg had swelled up and the throbbing/cramping pain was unreal. I couldn’t put any weight on it. I was perplexed. I was confused. I felt weak. I hated the feeling of not having any control over my body. And naturally, I thought the worst.

It wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t great. The x-ray results came back showing that I had a bloat clot. In medical terms, I had a DVT, or deep vein thrombosis. It’s a blood clot that forms in a major vein deep in your body. It usually happens in your lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. But it can also form in other parts of your body.

I was still confused. ‘I’m a healthy person!’, I thought to myself. ‘Why is this happening to me!?’, I questioned. I quickly googled what a blood clot actually was, but reality didn’t hit until I sat down with the doctor, who explained to me what had just happened and the many causes of blood clots.

After a series of questions about my lifestyle and medical history, it was concluded that immobility played a major part in what I was experiencing. I had been living a sedentary life with my 8-5 customer service job, sitting at a desk for prolonged hours, and little to no body movement when at home.

The next 6 months seemed like forever. Daily self-administered injections at home. Pill intake at specific hours of the day. New diet consisting of blood thinning foods. Bi-weekly checkups with my physician. And most importantly, more body movement activities.

At my final checkup, I was given specific instructions to keep up with good blood flow. Continued body movement was at the top of the list. It was also recommended to avoid anything that could increase my chances of developing another blood clot, like kale, broccolis and Brussels sprouts. Love them but can’t have too much of them. Moderation is key. Also, birth control pills. These pills increase a woman's chance of developing a blood clot by about three to four times, especially if you have experienced it before. Most oral contraceptives contain an estrogen and a progestin (synthetic progesterone).

As you can imagine, my life changed a lot since then. I vowed to never let myself down again and to take care and value my body for what it allows me to do every single day. Although I couldn’t completely understand back then why this had to happen, but today I can wholeheartedly say that it was the best wake up call I could have gotten. I’ve been on my fitness + wellness journey since then and living intentionally, honoring all that I am and can be, has never felt so good. I feel in control. I feel STRONG AF. I feel alive. I feel UNLMTD. And I’m just getting started. #unlmtdYOU